Moderates win elections at Surrey Sikh temple
Last Updated: Monday, October 25, 1999 | 11:57 AM ET
CBC News
About 20,000 of the 31,000 eligible voters cast ballots in the day-long election at the second-largest temple in North America.
A heavy police presence monitored the voting, to prevent the serious violence that has marred past elections.
"Hi, gentlemen. Had a chance to vote yet? Yeah? Okay, we're going to ask you to leave, to clear the property okay? The police didn't want trouble between the ruling moderates, and the fundamentalists who want to control the temple. Balwant Singh Gill heads the moderates. He claims the other side was using Punjabi-language radio programs to incite violence--and that's why he got a court injunction stopping people from hanging around in the area: "And I was scared myself we might have trouble on voting day. So I went to police and the police was agreed with me that we should have injunction."
Fundamentalist leader Dalip Singh Mangat said he didn't want any trouble either:
"I never believe that any problem can be solved with violence. Violence increases the problem."
The key issue in the vote was whether people dining at the temple should sit on the floor, or use tables and chairs.
It comes down to whether temple worshipers want to follow the old traditions, or take a more modern approach.
Both sides say they're willing to talk, but that the other side won't cooperate. And both sides admit the tensions aren't going to die down any time soon.
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